Internal Appreciation: Learning to Love Yourself When You're Lonely

Have you been feeling lonely lately?

The feeling of loneliness can result from the experience of physical or emotional separation from loved ones. Loneliness is something that many of us are facing right now, especially in the current age of social distancing and isolation.

It can be hard to love yourself even when you’re surrounded by friends and family sometimes, and it can be even more difficult to maintain self-love when you’re feeling lonely.

Self-love Takes Practice

Maintaining self-love is an art that takes time and practice, but when you begin to foster a deep appreciation for and comradery with yourself, you’ll start to notice that your own company is pretty dang fantastic. When you love yourself, spending time alone isn’t scary or isolating – it’s refreshing and revitalizing.

If you’ve been feeling a little blue and disconnected from your center of self-love, keep reading to find out how to amplify the self-assurance and confidence that you need and deserve.

Take Note of Your Thoughts

Our self-talk can be so crucial to our overall wellbeing.

Many of us unknowingly play certain tapes on repeat in our heads, negative thoughts that may seem harmless but are rather detrimental to our mental health. One of the best ways to start thinking positively about yourself is to notice these thoughts, take note of them, and meet them with their equal and opposite positive counterpart.

For instance, if you have a self-intrusive thought like, “No one loves me,” counter it with something like, “I am loved by my family, my friends, and myself.”

Learning to focus on the positive and create healthy, uplifting thoughts will take time. But noticing the negative will help you formulate the positive. If you’re telling yourself hurtful things that you would never say to a friend, then you’re not being loving towards yourself. And it’s time to start the self-love journey.

Positive Affirmations

One of the easiest ways to start thinking positively is to guide yourself in the process. Positive affirmations are an excellent way to start training your brain to speak with love and kindness, especially towards yourself. You can write your affirmations in a journal or on sticky notes that you can place around the house.

Here are some examples of positive affirmations for loneliness to get you started:

• I am loved and taken care of by the Universe.
• I am talented and abundant.
• I make new friends wherever I go.
• I am healthy and happy.
• The Universe sends me gifts and connections every day.
• I am beautiful on the inside and the outside.
• I choose love and happiness in my life.

You can create as many affirmations as you’d like – as long as they are positive! Repeat your affirmations to yourself each morning, evening, and throughout the day as much as you would like.

Crystal Healing

If you love crystals, there are ways to use them to combat loneliness. Crystals are beneficial for physical, mental, and emotional ailments alike, and there are certain crystals that naturally heal feelings of loneliness and inspire self-love.

Rose Quartz

One of the gentlest, most healing crystals in the stone world, rose quartz inspires confidence for those who work with it. Rose quartz inspires compassion towards yourself and acceptance of who you are. This crystal promotes unconditional love for yourself and those around you. Place a piece of rose quartz in a glass of drinking water for 30 minutes to create a healing, loving, crystal elixir.

Amethyst

Amethyst is an emotionally healing stone that helps patch up any wounds or hurt from the past that you might be facing. This crystal also awakens the Crown chakra, connecting you to your center of wisdom. Hold a piece of amethyst to the crown of your head, close your eyes, and breathe deeply to allow this chakra to blossom and flow freely.

Malachite

Malachite connects to the Heart chakra, allowing it to open and embrace the love around it. Working with malachite will also heal heartache, helping you move on from a tough breakup or the dissolution of a friendship. Hold a piece of malachite to the center of your chest and imagine loving energy flowing all around you.

Read This Next: Stone & Crystal Healing for Beginners

Practice Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is one of the easiest ways to lift your spirits, remind yourself that you’re loved, and attract more abundance into your life. Try making a list of everything you love about yourself and your life. Include your favorite physical features, personality traits, talents, and skills.

Think about the people and the objects, the memories and thoughts of the future that bring you joy. Practice gratitude for things that haven’t even happened yet! Placing yourself in the mindset of appreciation for the things you want to manifest will set the Universe in motion, making it easier for you to attract those things.

Get Creative

Use time by yourself to get creative and express yourself through various art forms and mediums. Self-expression not only allows you to release negativity and overwhelming emotions, but it also provides a channel for you to connect with your center. You’ll feel more confident and self-assured when you allow yourself an outlet of expression.

Journaling is a fantastic activity for those who may not feel like getting messy with paints and markers. Writing your thoughts and feelings down will allow you to acknowledge and move on from them. Simply open your favorite notebook, grab a pen, and let the emotions flow.

Pamper Yourself

If you haven’t been feeling the vibes of self-love lately, there’s a good chance that you haven’t been treating yourself either. Pampering yourself is crucial for mental health, whether it comes in the form of an at-home spa day or a homemade cake-for-one.

Sometimes you just have to do something for yourself that brings you a little joy. And taking care of yourself first will give you peace and strength to help those your care about.

Make the Most of Your Time Alone

Do you have a unique hobby that not many others appreciate? Is there a secret obsession of yours that you rarely get to indulge? When you’re spending time alone, you have the ability to invest in your favorite hobbies and activities without the stress of trying to make sure those around you are entertained as well.

Try diving into your favorite adventure novel, doing a 1000-piece puzzle, or taking up roller skating. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you have fun doing it. This will teach you to enjoy your alone time and feel grateful to be in your own company.

Being alone doesn’t have to be lonely, and when you’re centered in the spirit of self-love, you can actually have the time of your life when you’re on your own. Start by practicing these exercises, and create your own healing, loving rituals.

Remember, there is only one you. If you learn to embrace your unique personality and talents, you’ll start appreciating yourself more and more each day.

Related Article: Your Brain on Gratitude